Anchored adjustable chair



June 13, 1939. w w. CHURCHILL ANCHORED ADJUSTABLE CHAIR Filed Nov. l'7, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 13, 1939. w w CHURH|LL 2,162,060

ANCHORED ADJUSTABLE CHAIR Filed Nov. 17, 1956 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 5356' INVENTOR \wuqm w Church 7 ATTORNEYS n 1939- w. w. CHURCHILL ANCHORED ADJUSTABLE CHAIR 5 Shee'ts-Sheet 5 Filed Nov. 17, 1936 Patented June 13, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ANCHOBED ADJUSTABLE CHAIR Willard W. Churchill, Seattle, Wash. Application November 1'1, 1936, Serial No. 111,287

4 Claims.

My present invention relates to the art of seat, or chair, construction and more particularly to an anchored, adjustable chair.

The general development of passenger trans 5 portation by other means than the railroads has brought about a need for a different type of seating arrangement. This is especially true in the case of buses, airplanes, and the like. In these instances passengers are often transported over long distances, yet because of the small size of the relatively high speed vehicle, it is not possible to have the generously proportioned seats so common in railway use. It is necessary, in order to reduce the cost per passenger mile, that the occupants be crowded much closer together. This must not, however, be at the sacrifice of the passengers personal comfort. It is especially desirable to utilize all of the available space to the best advantage so that none is wasted. It is for this type of service that I have provided my anchored, adaptable seat, or chair. In the high speed transport unit, particularly where long trips are encountered, it is very necessary that the passengers be aflforded a means of varying their position. However, such transportation facilities do not permit the reclining chair such as is common on trains where the entire seat can be converted substantially into a bed; the limited space available in a bus or plane normally making this impossible.

It is therefore, the object of my invention to provide, not a reclining chair, but one that will permit of reasonable changes in the angularity both of the back supporting cushion, and the seat cushion, itself. It is, further, desirable to retain a construction which permits of a practically made unit that can be strong, yet reasonably light in weight; one that will be easy to operate so that the passenger can adapt the seat to suit his personal preference, yet be so simple in its structure that it can be expected to operate over long periods, without the necessity of frequent service; and one that will not be subject to failure while in use. It is believed that my present structure embodies these desirable features.

Other and more specific objects will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a twin unit of my seat such as is normally used in buses; one seat is shown with its cushion in place while the other is shown complete except that the cushions, forming the backrest and seat, have been removed so that the essential parts of my device will be more clearly portrayed.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary, detailed view, showing the means employed to assure the free movement of the lower support for the back of the seat, taken along, the line 2-2 of Figure 4.

Figure 3 is a typical, cross-sectional view through a seat made after the teachings of my invention with the cushions thereof shown in dashed lines,

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 but showing my mechanism in its opposite, extreme position so as to better illustrate the working parts of my device.

Figure 5 is a top plan view of the supporting and adjusting meansfor my seat, certain parts being shown in section to better illustrate their construction.

Figure 6 is a vertical, sectional view taken through the front portion, of my seat support means.

Referring to the drawings, throughout which like reference characters indicate like parts, 8 designates the frame of my seat. This I normally prefer to form of tubing after the showing in the various views and to provide the same with downwardly extending leg portions as l0 and II terminating in holding down plates l2 which are adapted to receive screws or other means for securing the same in place to a floor. ofconstruction has been found to be very desirable for transportation use where the seats must be maintained in a definite position and where the minimum wasting of space must at all times be considered. It will be apparent it is believed, that if my present seating arrangement is provided with a base of adequate extent it would not be necessary to fixedly secure the seat in place, providing it is used where compactness of arrangement is not essential. Pivotally supported from the front frame member H are two or more seat supports l5 and I5. In certain installations these may be fixedly secured to member it providing they are made of resilient material. These seat supports, in the nature of straps, are pivotally supported at their front ends on the bar it of the fixed chair frame 8 and they extend rearwardly with their rear ends fixed, as by welding to a cross bar l8, and the latter is fixed, as by welding to the bearing rod 20.

Each end of rod 20 is provided with a roller or antifriction bearing member as 22, which travels in guideways that limit and direct the possible movement of the rollers, 22. One convenient form of the guide members is shown at 24 in which a U-shaped sheet metal member is fixedly secured to the back cushion support mem-.

This form bers 26 and 21 and is further provided with a slot as 28 through which rod 28 passes and which is thereby limited in its upward and downward extreme positions. v

The back supportingmembers 26 and 21 are pivotally supported from frame 8 by the pivot rod 30 which rod is welded or otherwise rigidly attached to the frame 8. Being thus provided with a single, pivot axis, the back supporting cushion 32 which in turn is secured to support members 26 and 21, can 'be moved to successive, I

adjusted positions, giving varying angles of repose to the back. This same action also moves guideways 24 which are secured to members 26 and 21. This in turn effects the positioning of rod 28 and therefore effects the positioning of the seat cushion 34 so that its angle with respect 'to the horizontal will be changed with each successive change in the position ofthe back cushion 82, after the showing of Figures 3 and 4 which show the two extreme positions, itbeing under-'- stood, of course, that any reasonable number of intermediate positions may be provided for,

To provide means for locking the' seat in adjusted positions, a wish-bone member, including a yoke 36 havingoutspreading arms, is pivoted to the back supporting members 26 and 21 at points 38 and 38 respectively. At its front apex .end the yoke has welded thereto a pin. 48, which is adapted to reciprocate or telescope in a guide sleeve 42, and the guide sleeve at its front end has attached thereto a plate 43 that is pivoted by its loop 43 on the bar [4 of the chair frame 8. The sleeve, plate, and loop thus form a pivotal support, at the front, for the Y-shaped yoke. A plurality of notches are formed in pin 48 as at 44 thesenotchesare thefemale portion of the locking means formed tosecure my seat in its various adjusted positions. A compression spring 46 encircle sleeve 42 with its opposite ends abutting against the head of the yoke 36 and the thinner end of plate 43 so as to space the two apart for the purpose of providing spring pressure which acts to return the back rest cushions to the position best suited to the passenger's most upright posture.

The male portion of my locking means is provided in lever or bar 48 one for each chair which is disposed for partial revolution upon pivot 58,

which pivot is mounted on a lug welded to the front bar |4- of the chair frame 8. This member 48, in the nature of a locking bar is suspended in a guide-hanger 52' fixed to and depending from the sleeve 42, and the sleeve is notched in ,order that the upperedge of the locking bar may engage selected notch 44 of the pin 48. Operative means for bar 48 is provided in rod 54 which is provided at its lower extent with a pivoted connection at 56 to bar 48; it is guided by the tubular spring housing 58 and in the upper portion of the frame bya boss provided thereon at 68. Rod 64 carries a fixed collar at 62 so that compression spring 64 may operate at all times to urge bar 48 up into engagement with the. notches 44 of rod 48. At its upper end rod 54 is provided with a convenient hand knob 66 which is formed generally after the showing of Figures 3 and 4 so that there will be little, if any, tendency for garments and the like to catch on the underside of the same. This hand button is convenient to arm rest 68 and is partially masked thereby.

Method of operation My seat as described is ready for occupancy at in a all times. If, however, after the passenger has seated himself, he finds that the angularity of the back does not suit, he can adjust it by pressingdownwardly on knob 66. -This releases bar 48 from engagement with pin 48 and permits spring 46 to move the top of the b'ack cushion into its extreme forward position or any intermediate position desired. When the pressure is released on knob'66 the effect will be to permit bar 48 to then engage the first notch 44 encountered under urgence of spring '64, and thus lock the device in its new position. If the passenger becomes tired or restless with the seat in, for instance, its extreme forward position, he may, by pressing knob 66, change the seat to a more comfortable angle by merely pressing back on cushion 32 with bar 48 released. If knob 66 is then released bar 48 will again find the closest notch 44 and lock the mechanism against further movement.

Figures 3 and 4 show two extreme positions of both the seat cushion 34 and the back cushion 32.

It will be observed, it is believed, that the change in position is effected by the movement of substantially all of the parts except frame 8, itself.

Figure 4, as distinguished from Figure 3, has the back cushion 32 in a more rearward position which in turn raises guide member 24. However, even though guide 24 is raised-it will be observed that due to the coaction of support members l and I6, guide members 24, and yoke 36 releasable from locked position by operation of knob 66, the rear portion of cushion 34 is actually depressed further than the position ofFigure 3 with the front of the seat cushion remaining at the same position. This is 'a natural, comfortable position where the back cushion is inclined further to the rear.

The foregoing description and the accompanying drawings are believed to clearly disclose a preferred embodiment of my invention but it will be understood that this disclosure is merely illustrative and that such changes in the invention may be made as are fairly within the scope and spirit of the following claims:

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. In a chair having a spring pressed back and seat, the combination with a fixed frame, and a back-frame pivotally mounted in the fixed frame, of a bearing rod slidably mounted in the lower end of the back frame, a seat frame comprising a pair of spaced straps pivotally supported at their front ends on the fixed frame and rigidly secured at their rear ends to the bearing rod, a Y-shaped yoke having pivotal connections to the backframe below the bearing rod, a sleeve on the yoke pivotally suspended at the front of the fixed frame,

and a resilient connection between said yoke and 3. In a chair, the combination with a fixed frame and a back frame pivoted therein, and a bearing IOd slidably mounted at its ends in the,

back frame, of a seat frame rigid with said rod and having its front end pivotally mounted on the fixed frame, a Y-shaped yoke pivotally mounted on the back frame below the bearing rod, means for slidably and pivotally connecting the yoke to the front of the main frame, and

rod slidably mounted at its ends in the back with a fixed 10 frame, a, back frame pivoted therein, a bearing frame, and a seat frame rigid with said rod and having its front end pivotally supported on the fixed frame, of a Y-shaped yoke pivotally mounted in the back frame below the bearing rod, said yoke having a forwardly projecting pin, a guide sleeve pivotally mounted on the front of thefixed frame and enclosing said pin, and a spring coiled about the sleeve and interposed between said yoke and the pivotal mount of the sleeve on the fixed frame.

WILLARD W. CHURCHILL. 

